Kid-Friendly Veggie Sides for Spring

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More likely than not, your kids have better things to think about than garden-fresh produce, bustling farmers’ markets and mindful grocery shopping. But, when they sit down at the dinner table, all that good stuff is what’s for dinner, even if they’re morally opposed to eating their veggies. Use these recipes to get your kids excited about spring produce.

For some, green beans are good eaten straight out of the produce bag. But for those who need a little push, Alton Brown’s Best Ever Green Bean Casserole is just as the name implies. Rather than using the store-bought crunchy onions, Alton whips his up from scratch.

Broccoli is typically a no-go for most little ones, but when it’s served up in a style reminiscent of mac and cheese, it’s much easier to sell. With a foundation of rice and a scattering of florets, Sunny Anderson’s Cheesy Mushroom and Broccoli Casserole does just that.

Since when does a kid come down with a hankering for spinach? With its cheesy and comforting disposition, the Barefoot Contessa’s Spinach Gratin — or her Zucchini Gratin — makes getting your daily intake of veggies easy.

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Photo by: Antonis Achilleos

Antonis Achilleos

Food Network Magazine’s Four-Cheese Pasta With Peas and Ham disguises the green element with mozzarella, fontina and sharp cheddar, and it can be portioned as a filling side to chicken breast.

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Chef Name: Giada De Laurentiis
Full Recipe Name: Baked Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes
Talent Recipe: Giada De Laurentiis’ Baked Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes, as seen on Giada at Home
FNK Recipe:
Project: Foodnetwork.com, Back to School/Sandwich Central/Dinner and a Movie/Sides
Show Name: Giada at Home
Food Network / Cooking Channel: Food Network

Mac and cheese is a crowd-pleaser from the start, but when it’s morphed into Baked Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes, it’s a whole new ballgame. Giada De Laurentiis stocks hers with asparagus, chopped broccoli and cherry tomatoes.

Snacks these days have come to mean cookies, candy, chips or even donuts -- basically, nothing nutritious! If he could, my son would live on junk foods alone, but as the adult (and a nutritionist mom of three), it’s my job to make sure the right choices are available for my children. Check out these tips for kid-friendly snacks.

Chefs are put to plenty of challenges, but pleasing picky kids can confound even the most-acclaimed professionals. Here, a few chefs share their creations that will satisfy pretty much any kid’s snacking dreams.